Nick Faldo and Ernie Els had plenty of reason to smile after the first round of the Heineken Classic at Royal Melbourne yesterday - but there was also something that saddened them both greatly.

It was the fact that modern technology has reduced many of the greatest holes on one of the world's greatest courses to little more than pitch-and-putt golf.

Els fired a superb eight-under-par 64 to lead by two from 23-year-old Welshman Mark Pilkington - while Faldo's 67 left him joint third with former Ryder Cup team-mate Barry Lane, Australians Adam Scott and Peter Lonard and New Zealand amateur Eddie Lee.

Faldo, looking for his first solo win for almost five years and believing it could come soon after his 10th-place finish in last week's Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth, is simply staggered by the change that has come over the sport.

"I'm amazed how they can keep developing drivers or balls that go 20 yards further - not just every couple of years but every six months it seems," said the 44-year-old.

"When does it stop? Par fives now need to get longer and longer to be three-shotters. Someone like Ernie can drive 320 yards and carry a three-wood 260 yards. That's 580 yards - not long ago it used to be 510 yards.

"It's a great shame, and unless a hole is severely guarded now there's very little defence.

"We'll see what happens, but it's out of my league."

Two drives are measured each round for tour record purposes, and even Faldo's were listed at 303 and 295 yards. But Els' pair were 330 and 312 and Pilkington's an incredible 344 and 330.